New Student Orientation (NSO)
Do I need to pay for NSO?
Yes. All first-year students are required to participate in New Student Orientation (NSO) programming. The NSO fee covers all meals available during orientation prior to the start of 2025-2026 meal plans. The fee also supports orientation events designed to introduce first-years to the academic, cultural, and social life at Penn. The 2026-2027 NSO fee will be billed into your semester payment.
Is NSO mandatory? What will happen if I don’t attend NSO?
NSO helps making your transition to Penn smooth, educational, and fun. Not all NSO events are mandatory, however, your attendance is required at the mandatory NSO events. Failure to attend all mandatory events will result a registration hold put on your student record and you’ll be unable to register for your Spring 2027 courses.
Where can I find the NSO schedule?
The NSO schedule is available on our Events Calendar page. You will also be able to get print calendars at the hospitality booths on campus. Your PHINS Orientation Leaders will sit at the table to give you handouts for the main NSO calendar and specific populations’ calendar upon request.
How do I receive updates on NSO?
The NSOAI office will send newsletters throughout summer about how you can prepare for NSO. Additionally, we will send Daily Digest emails every day during NSO.
What are the specific populations? Do they have their own orientation schedules?
Specific populations include First Generation and/or Limited Income students, Exchange at Penn (EAP)/IGSP students, Transfer students, and International students. If you identify within one of these groups, you are eligible for early-move in and can attend the specific group’s orientation.
Are there any in-person orientation events for parents & families?
NSO offers optional in-person events for Penn parents and families to attend. Convocation is for first-year and new transfer students only.
Can parents and families members join students at the dining cafes?
Penn Dining is happy to welcome families and guests of incoming first year students to dine with us during New Student Orientation for lunch and/or dinner.
Students must register their family members/guests via MyHomeAtPenn, including the number of guests you wish to join you at each meal on each date. When arriving at the cafés, you will use your PennCard for meal swipes that have been pre-loaded onto your ecard. Families/guests will be asked to show a copy of their pre-registration to the cashiers. You and your guests will then be able to enjoy all-you-care-to-eat during that meal period. (Please note families/guests must be with their student when visiting the cafés.)
Locations and hours for each meal period will be posted on the dining website.
Second-Year Orientation (SYO)
What is Second-Year Orientation (SYO)?
Second-Year Orientation welcomes second-year students back onto campus with various events. The SYO experience will bring your class together to explore intellectual and cultural spaces, both on campus and throughout Philadelphia.
Where can I find the SYO schedule?
The SYO schedule can be found on the Events Calendar page after filtering through the “Student Year” option. You may also visit the Second-Year Students page for detailed information.
How do I receive updates on SYO?
Our office and the Class Board of Class 2029 will send out emails to you. If you are in the Class of 2029 and are have not received SYO emails from the NSOAI office, please email provost-NSO-AI@pobox.upenn.edu.
Other/General Inquiries
What are the Pre-Orientation programs?
Pre-orientation programs are academic, social, and cultural programs that take place before traditional New Student Orientation and provide students an early chance to familiarize themselves with specific resources on Penn’s campus. These programs do not overlap with traditional NSO programming, and move-in dates for the programs are up to your specific program director.
For Pre-O general questions, email platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu.
I have some questions about move-in, who should I contact?
For move-in questions, please email living@upenn.edu.
What is the mandatory online orientation program in addition to in-person NSO?
Before you arrive on campus, you’ll need to complete the online orientation program, Thriving at Penn (TAP). TAP is an online orientation program that readies incoming students for their Penn undergraduate career. TAP prepares students to make healthy choices as they begin their university experience and provides information about resources available to support student success.
- Phase One: goes live August 1, due August 15
- Your grade must be 80% or higher on your Assignments (which breaks down to a minimum score of 24 out of 30 in Phase One). To verify your score, click on the Grades link in the left column. If you do not have higher than 80%, you can click on the quiz and retake it.
- Phase 2: goes live August 20, due August 25
- Your attendance is required at the mandatory NSO events.
- Phase 3: goes live August 26, due August 31
- Submission of the NSO Survey.
How do I request disability services?
If you would like to request any specific accommodations including fully accessible transportation to any NSO event, please contact Penn’s Disability Services by phone (215-573-9235) or email at disabilityservices@vpul.upenn.edu.
What if I have dietary restrictions, or questions about nutrition, who should I contact?
Wellness Manager and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Sarah Goff, RDN, is available to speak with students with general nutrition questions and those with special dietary needs. You can reach out to Sarah at sarah.goff@cafebonappetit.com.
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